The victims of the so-called Gran Grif gang included ten women and three babies.
“As the attacks unfolded, gang members reportedly set fire to at least 45 homes and 34 vehiclesforcing a number of residents to flee,” Thameen Al-Kheetan said in a statement statement released in Geneva.
He called for a “swift and thorough investigation” into the attack, with those responsible held accountable and reparations guaranteed for the victims and their families.
Rights violations are increasing
The attack comes in the broader context of indiscriminate gang violence in Haiti, leading to an alarming escalation of human rights abuses and widespread internal displacement.
More than 700,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, making Haiti the country with the largest number of people displaced worldwide due to crime-related violence.
Mass displacement has led to widespread insecurity in the country, with nearly half of Haiti’s 11.9 million citizens in serious distress. need for humanitarian aid.
Gang violence against the Haitian population has done just that spread from the capital, Port-au-Prince, to isolated rural areas. Widespread attacks include sexual violence, kidnappings, looting, roadblocks to intimidate and rob civilians, and forced recruitment by armed gangs.
‘We cannot remain blind’
The UN refugee agency, UNHCRcalls for increased and urgent attention, support and solutions for Haitians affected by violence and insecurity, including those forcibly displaced.
“Now more than ever, Haitians need our collective support, and we cannot remain blind” Raouf Mazou, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, said on Thursday after a three-day visit to the country.
“Increased funding, increased security and international solidarity are essential to providing life-saving humanitarian assistance and restoring stability and hope in Haiti,” he added.
Despite the increasing urgency of the crisis, funding for Haiti’s humanitarian response remains critically low The 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan, which calls for $674 million, is currently only 39 percent funded.
UNHCR calls on the international community to increase its support to meet humanitarian needs and find solutions for displaced populations in Haiti and for people fleeing Haiti.
